The Irish standard., 1887-01-01

i've, upon WHICH Ills 6p1I1G udu Avou AOI
years, and, finding himself, as we have
before stated, shut out by his unfortu-
nate circumstances from that society to
which he had lately been accustomed.
and to which his habits and his feelings
induced him to cling most ectionately,
the natural result was his reasoning
himself into liberation of any whatso-
ever, in which he could secure himself a
place. This great imprudence met with
fatal retribution. Among the many
low fellows who sought, yet vainly, to
fasten themselves upon his regard, the
fiery young man who now rose to bid
him welcome beneath his roof. and in
whose character at least, though not in
his habits of life, he had found many
traits Of resemblance to his own. sue
ceeded in fixing single claim on his
attention. This person, however, had a
great advantage, so far as the hearts
ease was concerned, over his superior
friend (for such he speedily became) in
his perfect freedom from, and almost
ignorance of, all those delicate suscepti-
bilities and compunctions which educa-
tion, no less than nature, had breathed
into the soul of the latter; and he found,
consequently, much less difficulty in
complying with the violent impulses
which were common to both. Few de-
scriptions of characters are more likely
to acquire an influence over an un-
formed and -difdent mind, than one
of more vigorous and persevering en-
ergy; and the contact between two such
spirits is dangerous or fortunate, pre-
ciselY in relation to the good or evil ma
ture of that which is in the ascendant.
Our readers may ere now have conjec-
tured, and not unwisely, that the char
acter of the young landlord was not such
as to render conjunction indicative of
very great benefit to Kumba. Spellacy,
who. from some motive which it is not
necessary here to explain, seemed to
look on his new associate as one whose
cooperation might be of incalculable
Importance to his own designs, managed
their acquaintance with the art of mas
ter. Never presuming to affect any
thing like consciousness of the infu-
ence which he was acquiring most rap
idly over the mind of his companion, he
was, on all occasions, when the absence
of a potent stimulus left the reason Of
the other at liberty to discriminate and
decide, the humble and parasitical de-
pendant-honored by the presence of
his superior-governed, or seeming to
be governed by his breath-gratifed by
his ccnverse-grateful for his friendship
all, in fact, that Kumba's vanity could
desire; and it was only when he had
flung the latter off his guard, when he
had startled him with some astounding
difficulty, oftentimes existing only in
the lying imagination that had framed it
that he assumed the privilege of lead
ing the way, and gained himself credit
for genius as we'll as intrepidity-that
he dared to point out his course to his
superior-to fill his ears with the accents
of com nand--to say DO this!" without
qualifca lion. and it was done.
Far, far, by this artful and sinuous
course, had the ruffain succeeded in
in conducting his dupe from the equator
Of moral rectit.de, before the evening
on which both have been presented to
the acquaintance of the reader. He had
not yet, however, ventured to propose to
him participation in any act Of foul
and positive guilt; but the last train
which he had laid was so perfectly skill
full and deceptive as to place the youth
entirely within the dominion of his tenn
per. The circumstances, at least as
much of them as is needed to make the
narrative comprehensive. may be gath
cred from the scene which followed.
As soon as Mrs. Spellacy, in obedi-
ence to a slight action from her hus-
band, had left the room, Kumba, who
till that moment remained half dubious
of his course, holding the open door in
one hand, and gazing intently into the
eyes of his host, nodded, as we have
before mentioned, with a very slight
air of superiority, and passing in 81
lence to the centre, took one of the rude
chairs which lay scattered about, and
sat for several minutes in apparently a
total recklessness of the presence of a
second person. During this mood, the
observer maintained respectful and
delicate silence, wandering about the
room with noiseless steps, to arrange a
fishing rod, or examine some domestic
utensil, occasionally directing glance,
into which he contrived to throw all
the interest and humble attachment
which he was capable of assuming, at
the contemplative and rapidly chang